


Steaming Soup and a Light of Happiness

by ZionAmethyst



Category: Ratatouille (2007), The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cooking Lessons, Crossover, Developing Friendships, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Families of Choice, Gen, Guilt, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, Just feeling nostalgic, Manipulation, Middle Ages, Minor Character Death, Misunderstandings, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Ratworld, References to Depression, Slow To Update, Some Plot, Team Up, Unknown time travelling, Writing for Fun, slight references to Despereaux book
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24885571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZionAmethyst/pseuds/ZionAmethyst
Summary: During a state of emergency in which Remy and his colony are caught, Remy gets mysteriously thrown back in time to the middle ages in the Kingdom of Dor. As a consequence of his recklessness, Remy now has to deal with the biggest mistake he has ever made and face a new way of living alone without his family by his side. In his journey around the kingdom, he finds charming, new friends and encounters many obstacles in his futile attempts to find a way back home.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	Steaming Soup and a Light of Happiness

Remy did not know how he had gotten himself thrown back in time in what seems to be the medieval ages, but one thing he knows is that it was his fault from getting his colony the trouble of fleeing from their home. He still remembers how they ran towards the boats, all soaked as they help each other from danger, and how he went back to the house to retrieve a cook book in times like these instead of helping.

It has been four days ever since and Remy had been glaring at Gusteau’s book as if it personally offended him, and so far, he had been sulking around every corner of the kingdom doing nothing to explore the place he was in and just letting himself starve for what he had gotten himself into.

“You know you should really start getting to know your new surroundings, you might find some clues on how to get back or find a new purpose in this life because this is getting kind of depressing seeing you like this…” The materialized ghost form of his idol said behind him as Remy jumped inside a crack from the door of a carriage to seek warmth from the harsh cold breeze of the kingdom as he rubbed his paws against his arms and sigh in relief when his cold feet touch the warm, wooden floors.

“I know that Gusteau, you don’t need to keep reminding me of that every single day.” Remy grumble as he turn to face the chef and glare at him. “I’m starting to think that I actually died when I fell down the sewers...”

Gusteau regarded him carefully at the youngster when he turn away and saw how much he had lost weight and how his groomed fur had become a little matted. The former chef was starting to worry that the young prodigy might commit self-harm or even worse than that after they found out that Remy was far from home and would probably never see his family ever again. The former chef knows that Remy was a strong willed being and would not dare do it, but still he cannot help but worry for his wellbeing.

Ever since Gusteau died and became a spirit, he had meet few of his admirers who idolized him greatly and when he first appear before the rat without his acknowledge, he instantly became intrigued of his abilities to be able to cook and mix ingredients. I mean, who wouldn’t be surprised of seeing a rat with their own eyes cooking with such grace? Since then, he had follow Remy everywhere he went and eventually had come to care for him.

When Remy set down Gusteau’s cookbook in the corner, he lay down on his back and let his body soak up the heat of the carriage. “All this disaster happen because of me, wasn’t it?” Remy whispered, as he glace up to Gusteau who was floating beside him and shook his head.

“Well if you had listen to what your brother was warning you about maybe we wouldn’t have been in this situation, but we could still find a way out of this right?” Chef Gusteau said as he too looked around the carriage with wonder at the polished seats and walls. “…or you could just settle a new life in this era and still pursue your dreams.”

“What! I cannot just forget about my family and go on with my life as if they had never existed! I need them by my side and please don’t try to suggest that idea again…” Remy said as he closed his eyes to avoid letting his eyes water up and lay besides the book to relax. Gusteau stare at him for a few moments before he sigh and disappear before him.

Just as Remy was about to doze off with an ache in his heart, he felt the carriage he sneak in moved, and when he peeked from under the cookbook he still drag around with him, he froze in place when he saw two well-dressed people holding each other’s hands with a smile on their face.

“-we only have a week till the celebration of Soup Day arrives and I can’t wait for the day to come, for I am always looking forward to be the first to try out Chef Andre’s newest recipe for our kingdom.” The woman dressed in yellow garment said as she took a seat close to where Remy was hiding underneath the cookbook, slightly close to the woman’s feet for Remy’s comfort.

“I know, and this year’s preparation is almost flawless,” the man said as he glance outside of the carriage and signal for the person in the front to move the carriage. “But I really hope that Chef Andre’s soup is an actual new recipe and not the same one for the past two years. I am really starting to think that Chef Andre has run out of ideas…”

“Oh please my dear, can you at least give him more time this year? At least a few hours? I think being part of the royal chef is not an easy task and I have heard from others that this year’s preparation he looks more anxious than they have ever seen him in.” The blonde woman said.

The younger rat was waiting anxiously in his hiding spot for the door of the carriage to open up for him to escape, but he knows it would be impossible without being seeing, for he would still be carrying Gusteau’s book because it was the only thing he has a sense of familiarity and brings some form of comfort. When he tried to move slowly toward the door underneath their feet, his hopes of escaping unnoticed where dashed away when he felt his cookbook taken from his paws.

There was a moment of silence before the queen screamed and the king quickly jumped from his seat and opened the door of the carriage.

“Get out; we don’t want you here, now!” The king ordered before kicking him, closed the door, and signal the guard to continue their ride with the book still in his hands. 

Remy stood up from the ground and rub his side wincing slightly from the bruise he had receive and looked around before his eyes widen when he realized that the royal couple has possession of Gusteau’s cookbook. “Oh dear…” Remy murmur, looking at where the carriage headed before it disappear from the distance.

* * *

It has been four days before Remy had finally found the castle that belonged to the royal family he had encountered in the carriage and stare at it for a moment in awe before scurrying between the many feets of the villagers walking around, making preparations for what seems to be a big event for the kingdom he still doesn’t know the full details yet, other than it involves a big new recipe for a soup a royal chef has to serve for the entire kingdom. In Remy’s opinion, that seems to be an impossible task to do even for him, but then again the impossible can be accomplished if the person has enough perseverance and confidence like himself. 

When Remy was almost inside the castle’s entrance he quickly scurried out of the way when two tall men emerged from the castle’s main entrance holding up a big banter that said “Long Live Soup Day’ in bold letters. When Remy looked them up and down he quickly realized that they were wearing long wood stands that helped them appear ridiculously tall and proceeded to enter inside the castle unnoticed by the guards looking at the villagers with fondness.

Once the young rat was inside the castle’s main halls, a strong pleasing aroma greeted him that made him feel somehow at home and his nose twitched rapidly as it tried to pinpoint to where exactly the aroma was coming within the castle walls. Remy frowned and grabbed his nose with his paw to steady it and his stomach gave a loud rumbling sound, much to his dismay. 

Just as the rat was about to venture in the hallways to find the families chambers in hopes to find the cookbook he hears the heavy footsteps coming toward his way and quickly hides himself behind the barrels stacked in a corner. As he peak from his hiding spot, he notices a few guards stationed themselves on the Main Hallways and groans in frustration when he realizes that he won’t venture much of the castle if there are guards stationed everywhere without being noticed, for he would very much like to see another day. 

As Remy remain seated on his hunch legs to think of a way out of his situation, he looks toward a hallway where the wonderful, smelling aroma was coming from and closed his eyes as his curiosity and desire to find out what it is was overpowering his sense of urgency to find the only familiar thing he has in this unfamiliar era. The rat looked around his surroundings one more time before he scurried away from his hiding spot and toward the unguarded hallways that lead to his destination.

When Remy entered the huge kitchen, his eyes widened when he saw many chefs and cooks working together cutting down all types of vegetables. What he also saw had to be the biggest cauldron he had ever seen in his entire life and took in a strong whiff of the soup he cannot wait to spice things up. He looked around to see if anybody noticed him and quickly ran behind another barrel and leaned his back against it as he shook his head and sigh deeply because he should not have been thinking about involving himself in other people’s matters and instead focus on the main reason he broke inside the castle. 

As Remy peeked behind the barrel, he saw the many freshly cut potatoes and onions being dumped inside the steaming cauldron in many directions by the cooks. As he looked longer at the handiwork of the various cooks, Remy noticed a new man appearing out of a door that seemed to lead to a kitchen, dressed like his fellow workers with tucks of brown hair showing underneath his toque with a small beard. The man looked at the other cooks before clapping his hands to grab the others attention while making a wooden plank appear in front of him that moves forward close to the giant cauldron.

The man holds a spoon up, dips it gently at the soup, brings it to his mouth and savors the taste for a moment, before he turns sharply at the closest cook near him “It needs more potatoes, and garlic!” he announced, as his assistant nodded and went to the other cooks to help spread the chef’s orders. 

“But Chef Andre, don’t you need to add new ingredients for this Soup Day? We have already used the same recipe for this preparation for two years!” A cook said behind him with a frown as he shuffled nervously in his feet. 

“I know and we still have more time to change a few things up before I send the soup to the royal family.” The chef said before he frowned and leaned forward a bit to smell what other ingredients it needs to be added. “I don’t know what it’s missing this time, but this soup is still not close to perfection…” he murmur and rubbed his temples as stress started to take its toll on the man before he walk over to his kitchen doors slowly “Everyone please do me a favor and stepped aside to think! Come on, I don’t have much patience now.” As everyone in the huge kitchen dispersed toward the exit, Remy had the chance to come out of his hiding spot and walk toward the cauldron containing the soup without the chef’s presence once he entered his kitchen and closed its doors. 

The rat climbed the few stairs, inched closer toward the cauldron and looked around once more to check if anyone was around. When Remy confirmed that there was not a soul present, he looked up and scratched his head in contemplation. ‘ _Now, what should I do to take a closer look toward the soup?'_ As Remy regarded the place around him and noticed a chain next to him that connected to the cauldron. Remy grabs the chain and tentatively climbs over it and inches upward carefully. Once he reached the mouth of where the soup was being held, he closed his eyes and took a sniff at it a couple of times before he smiled and took a closer inspection to see the types of ingredients that were already put in the soup. ‘ _I see…’_ The rat thought with mirth as he looked back at the double doors of the kitchen to where the chef had gone. ‘ _Not bad, the soup is in need of just a few things like broth tomatoes, celery, and bay leaves to spice things up, but for that I need to go to the kitchen…’_ Remy turned around to look at where the chef had gone to with a smile, but frowned as he was quickly reminded of why he was in the Royal kitchen in the first place.

As Remy descended and touched the ground to sneak into the kitchen of the chef, he heard a loud, boisterous voice accompanying the serious, stern, but equally loud voice he identified with the royal chef. When Remy stood in front of the door, he curiously pressed one ear against the door and tried to make out what the entire ruckus was. 

“What do you mean It's missing something!? I had followed everything you asked for in the soup!” The chef said behind the door as Remy could make out what seems to sound pots and other things being moved inside. As he was listening he saw a small opening of the door he was leaning on and moved toward it to peek inside and what he saw made his eyes widen.

“Well, maybe you’re doing something wrong.” A tall being said as he looked at a small cauldron being held in the corner of the kitchen and dip a finger for a taste. “I think you might need to add a few slices of potatoes and garlic...Wait, didn't this recipe served a year ago? Andre you were supposed to have made something new!” 

“Which is why I came here to ask for your help, to make something new for this occasion, I promised I won’t bother you again…” The chef said. The mysterious being huffed before turning around and crossing his arms in a childish manner, refusing to meet the eyes of the other.

“You had already told me you would not bother me in the past before, and what am I hearing! You had the gall for asking for my help once again without as much as a ‘thank you for your great help, Boldo!’ You really need to be taught some manners, young man!”

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Boldo, but you have always been my mentor during though times. I promised I would reward you after you give me advice on how I should proceed from here, please do me that favor!" 

As the strange being stare at him for a brief moment, he looked back at the soup before he reluctantly nodded. "Very well then, but first I would have to look back on my book and might take for a while for a response, but I guaranteed that I would have something in my mind!" 

Before the chef could say anything to his friend, his body dispersed everywhere in the kitchen as single vegetables and stood there, surprised for a moment, before he quickly went over to his desk to grab an old book that belonged to his friend and tried to summon him a few times to no use. As the chef began to pace anxiously, he decided he would face this all by himself and began to walk over the door to check on the soup outside and call upon his workers to enter. 

Before Remy had time to react, he was already too late and squeaked as he was slammed roughly by the door when it opened, and slide away, grunting in pain as he tried to get up before he was chased by the man, who was awfully close to him, but unnoticed. As Remy tried to limp away from danger, his luck quickly ran out once the chef’s eyes took notice of his form and gasped. ‘ _Oh please no, please don’t tell me this is actually happening.’_ Remy thought as he tried to run, the chef quickly grabbed a broom nearby and was coming over him with a killing intent on his eyes. As fear consumed his small being, he frantically raised his hands up in surrender and began to speak.

"Wait, please don’t kill me! I only came here because I suspected you have something that is mine and the curiosity was killing me to find out about your soup.” Remy said, as he backed up to a wall when the broom’s bristles were pushing against his lower belly. “I didn’t come here for any nefarious reasons other than, I swear!” The chef furrowed his brows suspiciously and pushed the broom even harder, much to Remy’s growing anxiety.

“As if I should believe in your petty lies from a peculiar rat, I know your kind well and are nothing, but filthy tricksters always trying to steal from us…” Andre said before he glanced back at the cauldron and directed his gaze at him with horror “I swear to God if you have done anything wrong with the soup, I will find you and kill you!”

Remy stared at the man in utter disbelief with his jaw wide open, ‘ _did a human just understand what I was saying? If that is the case then…’_ the rat got his bearings together and stood up straighter with his hands up in surrender “I didn’t do anything…If I have to be honest with you I was only inspecting your soup.” he looked at the other being straight in the eyes and hoped he looked genuine and get out of the kitchen as soon as possible. The man sneered and suddenly grabbed the rodent by the tail before Remy had the time to react and glare at him. 

“What do you mean by inspection, were you trying out the soup without my permission!” he yelled before Remy again had to wince at the man’s loud voice. “No, I simply smelled it before I came to the conclusion of what ingredients were missing. I’m also very passionate about the culinary arts too…” Remy murmured the last part before the chef gave a boisterous laughter that shook Remy’s dangling body and began to walk toward his personal kitchens, closed the door behind him, and dropped Remy on a nearby table before he took a seat in front of him. “Why did you take us here?” he said, looking around the considerably small kitchen and noticed other things like pots and sausages dangling from something in the ceiling he could not make out. 

“Well, the reason why is because I don’t want any of my workers seeing me talking to a rat and reporting me to the king, also did I hear you like cooking?” The man said, looking at the rat cautiously, narrowing his eyes and shaking his head. “That’s hard to believe that a scrawny rat like you is capable of doing anything a human can other than surviving. Besides I brought you here to know what you did to the soup, if you do then I may spare you. ” Remy groaned at the accusations and crossed his arms while facing him before an idea came to him and grinned.

“Well, if you don’t believe me then how about I actually show off my culinary skills while you sit back and look at me up close with the soup?” Remy asked, while looking up at the man in question with his cheeks puffing out before the man shook his head. 

“No, absolutely not! Why not try to make something that’s a bit simple, like for example...eggs?” The chef’s eyes widened and shook his head while he rubbed his temples in frustration. “Why am I having a conversation with a rat of all things about cooking? You know what never mind, I shouldn’t have let you in my kitchens, how about we meet again after the soup day?” Remy sighed and decided to walk outside of the kitchen before he turned around and waved at him with a small smile.

“Hey by the way, your soup needs ingredients like broth tomatoes, celery, and some bay leaves to complement the rest of the vegetables. I assure you with my life that I did not do anything else to the soup.” With that being said, he quickly scurry toward the door and outside of the chef’s personal kitchens without anyone looking, before he decided to explore the many places of the castle for a safe spot to rest and sleep for the time being till he finds his beloved cookbook. 

The first thing Remy had come across while on his search for a quiet place, while keeping himself hidden in the shadows was what seems to be a huge meeting hall with many different people with elegant garments with unique patterns only Remy had seen from the movies. Another thing he also noticed was the Royal couple he had encountered in the carriage in the front row of a table seated with a young, blonde girl in between them with a smile on her face as she talked to the king beside her. Remy narrowed his eyes as he looked at them before shaking his head and decided to continue on his journey. As Remy had carefully advanced through the oblivious crowd by scurrying underneath the table unnoticed thanks to the long tablecloths and taking a short break in between to calm his loud beating heart.

Another thing he also noticed was the royal couple he had encountered in the carriage in the front row of a table seated with a young, blonde girl in between them with a smile on her face as she talked to the king beside her. Remy narrowed his eyes as he looked at them before shaking his head and decided to continue on his journey. 

When Remy had gotten out of the crowded area and into a deserted hallway, he looked around his surroundings to make sure there was no one, before he deemed it safe enough to step out of the shadows and try to make a visual map on his memory of the many places he had been. One thing Remy noticed from the hallways he traveled on was the various portraits of different people hanging on the walls; one particular person that keeps appearing often was the girl he has seen in the meeting hall. The girl was usually shown with either the queen or the king, always a green dress with different shapes and designs. As Remy scrutinized deeper on the writing that is found d at the bottom of her main portrait, he made out with some difficulty the cursive name as Princess Pea of Dor. He looked away and continued to walk even further down the hallway until he entered a giant library that had bookshelves almost to the ceiling in many rows. Remy stares for a moment in amazement before he inspect his surroundings before he deems it safe enough not to hide. 

Remy had taken his time exploring the new place he had found himself in by trying to commit everything to memory and finding his way out several times to ensure he knew his way out, since the library had many rows to get a bit lost, while also making sure no one had entered the library. The candles in the walls were beginning to dim little by little with each passing moment he spent trying to inspect each section for a familiar book he hoped he found somewhere in this large library.

As nightfall finally embrace the kingdom, Remy tiredly climb a bookshelf close to a nearby window and lay down on top of the books as he stared at the bright stars decoration the sky, and look back at the entrance of the library, before he shrugged and close his eyes with a faint smile as he dreamed of being with his colony working on gathering food from the trash, while he and Emile fool . At that moment, he wished that everything that had happened were a horrible dream.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, this would be my first time writing a multi-chapter story, and wrote this to revisit my childhood, while also writing this as a coping mechanism with the world events. I would make this clear that it would take me a long time to upload because of personal things going on, but I would continue writing this story as a writing exercise for other future works I'm interested for fun, so don't expect this to be too perfect. Also, I don't own any of these, Tales of Despereaux belongs to Kate DiCamillo and Ratatouille by Walt Disney Pictures Pixar Animation Studios. I would look back on chapters for some changes and later on as the story progress. Have fun and stay safe!


End file.
